Phillip Cres and the Blade of Fate
by TheVictoryStar
Summary: A fanfiction of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This takes place three months after the second battle of the Giants (Blood of Olympus). Phillip Cres, son of Athena, finds a knife in Camp Half-Blood. Little did he know that it will take him on the quest for the sword of a great hero. Rated T due to mild language and suggestive themes (and paranoia).
1. Chapter 1 - I Find a Dangerous Treasure

**Chapter 1 - I Find a Dangerous Treasure**

* * *

My name is Phillip. Phillip Cres. Son of Athena and half-brother to Annabeth Chase.

I'm a demigod. Half Greek goddess, half mortal, and my life is wholly unpredictable.

I hail from California, but my summer home is Camp Half-Blood, where I stay and train with other demigods of my type of all different parentage. Recently, some Roman demigods, born of the Roman persona of these gods, have come over to our camp as well.

I have five beads on my necklace, one for each year. Has it really been that long? I was nine back then. Now, I'm fourteen years old, about to start my freshman year at high school.

Of course, I had friends here. Annabeth was the best senior counselor I could imagine. She was kind and acted like a leader. She recently started looking at me as a little brother, but I didn't mind. Besides, I really could use the family.

My parents died a month before I found Camp Half-Blood. A Cyclops slaughtered my stepmother. My father died in a car accident. I had no family, no siblings, no one to care for me. Athena guided me to this place. She protected me as I made my way to the East coast. Athena even managed to get a Pegasus to fly me from Massachusetts to New York. I'd cared for the mare ever since. Her name was Shimmer.

Now, I'm one of the Athena campers. I enjoyed mathematics, but also enjoyed music. Something about the math behind every note…

Sorry. I don't want to bore you. In fact, maybe I should stop the introduction and get along with the story.

* * *

I was walking along the beach, near the Poseidon cabin. Percy was off doing his demigod stuff. I was stuck with cleaning up the camp, specifically the beach. While the cleaning harpies did a good job with the custodial work, they did let some junk slip through the cracks. Within five minutes, I found two random Celestial bronze discs, probably from the Hephaestus forge; three of those pocket mirrors used for makeup; a stray dagger (wouldn't want that lying around); and a scroll detailing a statue's architecture, no doubt Annabeth's for her project on Mount Olympus. I packed the scroll and the discs in my bag and kept the dagger. I would have trashed the mirror if it weren't for a certain individual.

"Hey!" a voice yelled from fifty yards away.

I looked up, and then proceeded to nearly choke.

Atlanta Starr. Wonderful.

Don't get me wrong, Atlanta's a nice girl. She's a daughter of Aphrodite. She was about a year older than I was and looked pretty. She was usually conversing with the other girls, giving them advice and being an all-around awesome person to talk with. However, I found her a bit sassy. Nevertheless, she was a close friend. We'd traveled the country together many times, even on our endeavor to reach the camp, but that's a story for another day.

"Hey Atlanta," I tried for a smile. "What brings you here?"

She snatched the mirror from my hand. Her blonde hair fluttered in the sea breeze. "You found my mirror, for one," she replied. "But that's not all. Chiron's calling the chores short."

I raised an eyebrow. Chiron never stopped the chores early. The chores usually ended with the conch shell detailing dinner. "Oh? Why's that?"

Her expression troubled me. "I don't know. Just come with me. Evelyn and Drake are waiting for us in the mess hall."

I nodded. I looked at the dagger, now strapped to my belt. I noticed something on the hilt I never noticed before. In gold on the leather handle, I noticed Greek letters: Καταστρέψτε. Katastrépste.

Destroy.

I kept the thought to myself. I'd tell Annabeth later once I brought her the scrolls.

I nodded. "Sure. Let's go."

We walked to the dinner hall, the words in the hilt gleaming in the sunlight. As we walked, I could have sworn I heard laughter in the back of my mind.


	2. Chapter 2 – I Make it Rain Owls

**Chapter 2 – I Make it Rain Owls**

* * *

So, Evelyn and Drake.

Evelyn Anaid was a daughter of Apollo. She's thirteen, about five inches shorter than me, and played pretty much instrument you could name, or at least figure out how to play it in a snap. She was sweet and sensible. Her brown hair was at her shoulders.

Drake Striker was the polar opposite. He was also thirteen, though his birthday was only a month ago. He had short, black hair and glasses with brown frame. He was one of the only children of Zeus I knew, save Thalia and Jason Grace. He was loud, vulgar, yet strangely funny. If not for the lightning, I would have though he was a Hermes kid. Despite that, we still got along.

Atlanta and I reached dinner several minutes before the second horn. Evelyn and Drake were discussing something in hushed tones, sitting in a booth at the far end of the table. I pounded my fist on the table, making the others jump. A clap of thunder rang overhead.

"Apollo's arrows!" Evelyn yelped, shooting her hands up in a "DON'T SHOOT" sort of way. "Don't scare me like that!"

I smiled in response. I was somewhat sadistic that way.

"Good to see you too," I mused.

Atlanta cleared her throat. "So, what were you guys talking about?"

Atlanta's words washed over me like the music in New Rome. Not all Aphrodite kids have charmspeak, but it was so irresistible, it was hard to ignore. I felt the urge to spill a bunch of embarrassing secrets to her. She also had the ability to cause anyone to fall infatuated with her, incapacitating the target. She called it an L-Touch.

Unfortunately, I was her first test subject for that power. Let's not discuss that.

Drake's shoulders slumped. "Nothing important. Just capture the flag strategies."

I felt a pull in my gut. I knew he was lying, but I couldn't tell what he was saying. Athena gave me that power a while ago. It allowed me to use speech patterns to crack secrets out of people, but I never used it.

I disregarded it. If they didn't want to talk, they didn't want to talk.

Evelyn noticed my reaction. I must have been staring at Drake, but I shook it off. She and I met eyes, and she mouthed "Tell you later" at me.

I went with it. "Annabeth and I were discussing strategy earlier today. We decided that, with what we know about Ares's alliances for tonight, we should definitely keep Apollo and Zeus on our team if we can. We should be set, what with Aphrodite and Poseidon being long-lasting allies with the Athena cabin."

All three of them nodded. Atlanta winked at me. _Nice call_ , she seemed to tell me.

The conch horn blew again, and more campers flooded in. We ate as normal. I got my usual. True to my Korean heritage, I ate some Asian cuisine. I had some chicken broth soup with rice and traditional _kimbap_ , veggies and rice wrapped in dried seaweed. Evelyn was eating a tofu-and-vegetable stir-fry. Drake had a burger, which was typical, and a slice of pizza, which was even more typical. Atlanta poked at a salad and some chicken noodle soup.

The conch sounded again, and Chiron announced capture the flag would start in half an hour.

I wiped my mouth. "Well," Evelyn said to us. "Who's ready to kick some serious _podex_?"

* * *

We suited up, got our weapons, etc. My weapon of choice was my personal sword. It was four feet of killer Celestial bronze. Engraved into its hilt, the Greek word for "Owl" glowed: κουκουβάγια. I just called it Kouvagia.

Evelyn brought out her trusty bow and quiver. Atlanta used her knives. Yes, knives, plural. She used two knives in combat. Add that to her charmspeak and L-Touch and you have probably the best embodiment of femme fatale at camp. Drew used a sword as well.

Annabeth and Clarisse (grrrrr) both walked to the field. They implemented a new tradition into the Camp: a coin flip for the first pick.

Annabeth won the coin flip. She called Poseidon (because Percy, what did you expect?), Nike, Aphrodite, Zeus, Apollo, Demeter, Hecate, and Hades to the front. This left Ares with Hermes, Hebe, Hypnos, Hephaestus, Dionysus, Iris, Nemesis, and Tyche.

The games begun. Evelyn and I were left on defense, along with our respective cabins, save Annabeth. She went ahead with Percy and Piper, along with the whole Aphrodite cabin. Nico di Angelo, who was visiting at the time, raised skeletal warriors to help defend. Hecate was to start incantations to shroud the location of the flag.

It was boring, just standing near the flag. Evelyn sent the rest of Apollo cabin to hide in the trees and bushes in order to snipe any oncoming attackers. Evelyn put down her bow.

"So," she broke the tension. "What's the knife for? I haven't seen it before."

Scratch that, her question tensed up every muscle in my body. I put sheathed Kouvagia and brought out the knife.

"I don't know. I found it on the beach this evening, before dinner. It has the Greek word for 'Destroy' on its hilt." I showed her the lettering. "You know why Chiron cut the evening short?"

She shook her head. "Not any more than you do. I… behind!" She cut herself off.

I whirled around. An Ares camper managed to sneak past our snipers and got to the flag. I had no time to unsheathe Kouvagia. I used the knife to the best of my ability. To my surprise, the camper's sword shattered when I first hit it with the knife. Shards flew up above us. Next thing I knew, it was raining several items: branches, leaves, and owls. Luckily, for my mom's sacred bird, they righted themselves before they fell flat on the ground. The Ares camper was stunned. I pushed him to the ground and put the knife just above his throat.

"Uncle!" he yelled. "Mercy! I give! Aaaaaaaah!"

So much for an Ares kid. I let him go. As soon as I helped him up, I heard another horn, heralding the capture of the red flag.

 _What is this power?_ I thought as I regarded the blade.

I didn't hear Evelyn. She was still staring at the knife as if it was a hand grenade. In a way, it was.

"You just… what… with a knife… you…" she managed.

The Apollo cabin fell out of the trees and howled in victory. We had no choice but to run with them.

I sheathed the knife. I promised myself I'd ask Annabeth for answers later. I felt like a new sort of crisis was about to erupt.


	3. Chapter 3 - I Reminisce on the Past

**Chapter 3 – I Reminisce on the Past**

* * *

As soon as I showed Annabeth my treasure, her eyes widened. She muttered something about curses and colonies that made me want to bring out a Dominion set. She explained the blade was cursed long ago. Sealed within the blade was the soul of a primordial being. Its power was tremendous, but it also could be wielded by only a few people. It had a link to a Greek hero's sword long ago…

She asked me to go to the Oracle, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Begrudgingly, I conceded. I went over to the Big House, where Rachel stayed. Turns out, she was in front of Cabin 3, probably talking with Percy. I asked her about the knife.

Instantly, her body shivered. She doubled over, and then stood up straight. When she spoke, it sounded like a combination of Rachel's voice, a snake, and a symphony hall.

 _The Half-Blood Keys will rise above,_

 _Lead by Wisdom, Sun, and Dove._

 _A single kiss will force a choice,_

 _Fate's ancient Blade with broken voice._

 _Life's Bane rests deep in cruel perverse_

 _Whose power none survives the worst._

On the last word, she fell down. Thankfully, I managed to catch her before she fell. Her eyes fluttered open. I thanked her for the help and walked away, still shivering with dread.

* * *

Later that day, I put the knife down on my desk. I rummaged around and found something in my desk. I took the box I have carried for so many years and opened it. In it were three items: a picture of my mom and dad; a feather, from Shimmer when I first met her; and a dagger, which was my first demigod weapon. I remember how long ago it was since I found this place. I looked back at those days where Atlanta and I traveled the country, trying to find a camp we could call home…

* * *

"C'mon!" I called, struggling up a rock face. "We have to move!"

Atlanta was behind me, struggling to climb. I extended my hand and helped her onto the ledge I was resting on. We were in Colorado, or somewhere around, though there was no way to tell. We didn't have a map or any way to checking our bearings.

"Thanks," Atlanta wiped the sweat off her brow.

Atlanta and I ran into each other in Nevada. We'd both lost our parents due to monster attacks. Ever since then, we stuck together. After all, at that time, we were the only family we had. She essentially was my only family, my big sister, my closest confidant.

I put down my dagger, which I had used as a temporary icepick. The view from this high up was gorgeous. I could see everything within a few hundred miles.

"We should rest," I insisted. "But we can't just stand here. People will find us."

Atlanta's shirt was in tatters, though I couldn't exactly talk. My shirt looked like it went under a lawnmower (which it did, long story). My face was covered in dust and grime. The cut down my cheek started to scar. Despite that, she kissed me on the cheek.

"You're right," she said. "We can't risk the humans finding us." She unpacked a can of ham we found in a nearby convenience store. She opened it and threw out the lid. "Eat quickly," she ordered. She split the ham in half and ate as quickly as we could.

Atlanta and I decided to make camp. While she built a small fire, I started prepping the campsite for a night's stay. After some cooking and discussing, we put out the fire. While we would probably benefit from the light, warmth, and morale boost, it may have drawn attention to us. Heaven forbid that happen.

We fell asleep in the cold mountain air. Every night, I dreaded how we were going to survive the next day. Tonight, however, I felt at ease. Sleeping was difficult, sure, but I felt no dread whatsoever. With the gentle sound of animals and the moonlight beaming down on us, I fell asleep.

* * *

I took out the dagger and studied it. It still had nicks from the many fights I'd used it. I've since retired from using daggers, but I could still wield one in battle. I didn't like using a sword, but it was better suited to my fighting style. I put the dagger back. The cursed knife lay on my desk. I threw it into my safe and walked away. I didn't need that thing around. It gave me the chills.

It would be curfew soon. I put away most of my stuff, took off my belt, changed into sleepwear, and crashed onto my bed. In no time, I was dreaming away.


	4. Chapter 4 – I Can't Fit the Title Here

_No, that's not the title... I literally couldn't fit the entire title into the chapter title._

 _Thanks for the continued support. I'm sorry I couldn't upload more. School has not been kind to me._

 _Don't forget to review, favorite, or follow!_

 _This is the Victory Star, signing out!_

* * *

 **Chapter 4 – I Send Myself on a Suicide Mission**

* * *

The next day, I couldn't tell if I was more psyched or afraid to go on a quest. Chiron and I had talked many times about the possibility of another quest. The Blade of Fate was the first sword of Apollo, god of prophecy. As for why chores were cut early for dinner, he didn't know. Mr. D was in charge of enforcing the schedule. Maybe he had too much to drink that night.

I told him about the prophecy and the knife. He closed his eyes in concentration.

"Wisdom, Dove, and Sun," he thought aloud. "Athena, Aphrodite, and Apollo. Phillip, you may need to lead this quest to reforge this blade."

I raised my eyebrows in confusion. "Reforge?"

Chiron pulled out a phone I never had seen before. "Argus, can you bring over Atlanta Starr and Evelyn Anaid? Thanks." He hung up. "Long ago, when Phoebe and Koios gave birth to Leto, Gaea bestowed upon Koios a blade of pure adamantium. It was the family heirloom of the direct descendants of Koios and Phoebe. It was sealed, as it possessed tremendous power."

I raised my hand. "Um… define tremendous?"

Chiron sighed. "I hope you ask for the example and not the actual definition. This sword has comparable power to Kronos's scythe."

My thought died in my throat. "Crap."

Chiron raised his eyebrows. "Language, Phillip. I don't know who's behind this knife, nor its connection with the Blade of Fate…"

 _Roll credits_ , I thought.

"However, I'd be careful. I'll relay this information to Atlanta and Evelyn. In the meanwhile, you should train and pack. I'll see you off tomorrow at 6 AM. Don't be late."

I bowed. "Yes sir."

He dismissed me, and I slowly walked back to my cabin to begin the packing process.

* * *

That evening, Atlanta and I sparred in the swordfighting coliseum as last-minute training before our quest. She used her double knives while I used my sword. We knew each other's fighting style so well, we perfectly countered each other without scoring any hits. Her knives would stop my sword, and my fists and sword would parry her knives.

"So," I tried to engage in conversation while sparring. "Keeping up the training, I see."

She struck with her knives. "Yeah," she responded as we countered each other's strikes. "Both of us could always use it."

I threw an uppercut. "SHORYUKEN!" I yelled.

"Really, Phillip?" she regarded me as she blocked my fist with her arm. "Now of all times?"

"Hey, why not?" I swung my sword. She countered perfectly. We pushed against each other's weapons. Then, we both stopped and dropped our weapons.

We were breathing heavily. Sweat dripped down our faces. Despite that, we hugged. We knew each other too well.

"I'm glad to be on a quest with you yet again," she told me.

I couldn't help but smile. "Just like old times, right?"

She kissed my cheek, as she has so many times before. She really did think of me like a brother. Likewise, I thought of her like my older sister. "Yup. Love ya."

I smiled. "You too." I kissed her back.

With that, we packed up our weapons, went to our respective cabins, and finished our packing.


	5. Chapter 5 - A God Rides Our Train

_Sorry for the long, long, long hiatus. I've had a lot of schoolwork lately. Plus my social life has been... interesting to say the least._

 _Anyways, hope you enjoy! Since I'm on break right now, I'll try to upload more regularly. And expect a lot more work in the summer._

* * *

 **Chapter 5 – A God Rides Our Train**

* * *

Atlanta and I were waiting for Evelyn just inside the borders of Camp Half-Blood. I sat in the shadow of Thalia's pine tree. Peleus was napping contently, coiled around the tree and snoring loudly. I didn't know dragons could snore, but then again, I live in a world where teenagers can summon lightning and there's another hundred floors to the Empire State Building, so screw my sense of reality.

I was lightly dressed, as per usual. Kouvagia was in its sheath, which hung on my back. I put the knife in my belt. After the incident where I caused a bunch of owls a bad time, I didn't want anything to do with it, but Chiron insisted I take it. My dagger was also at my belt. It was a bit of an heirloom to me, and I carried it around for good luck.

Atlanta wasn't dressed for defense either. Her camp t-shirt probably wouldn't do her any favors against a sword. She wore her knives on either side of her waist. She had her hair tied up in a ponytail.

Evelyn came up to us, riding on Chiron's back. Chiron's expression was grim, as if to say, "This is the most dangerous thing you will ever do."

"Well, Phillip, Atlanta," he said in a solemn tone. "This is farewell. I must once again emphasize the importance of this quest. This could potentially mushroom into a larger problem later on if you are not careful."

We both nodded. Evelyn hopped off Chiron's back. She put her bow on her arm. Her quiver was full of different colored arrows. In her pack, I noticed she brought her syrinx, a type of flute, so I guess she was prepared to either play a song or shoot someone, whichever came first.

"Good luck, heroes," Chiron wished us off. "May the gods help you."

"We're about to find out," I heard Atlanta murmur to my side.

With that, Chiron gave us directions to the nearest subway station. He waved one last time, and then trotted back into the camp.

* * *

We paid the ticket fare and boarded the subway. The three of us sat down in an empty booth. Apparently, the conductor of this train was a son of Hermes, which made sense, since Hermes was the god of travel. Our tickets stated that we would start in Manhattan and get off in New York City.

We sat in silence for the most part. Then Atlanta broke the silence.

"Does anyone else realize that we have no clue what we're doing in New York?" she asked.

Now that she mentioned it, she was right. Why were we going to New York? I couldn't think of any Olympian locations there.

I shrugged. "Chiron always has a plan. I guess we're playing this one by ear."

Evelyn cringed. "That never works out well. I would know."

"Perhaps I can help you with that?" a male voice said behind us.

My head turned around instantly. Behind us, there was a man, limping on leg braces and using a crutch. The man had grown out his facial hair, and his face was deformed. Even as he walked, he gave a sense of heat and flame.

Atlanta's face turned pale. "Lord… Lord Hephaestus!"

The man tried for a smile, which wasn't easy with his deformed features. "God of blacksmithing, at your service."

I swallowed. "With all due respect, Lord Hephaestus," I asked. "What are you doing here?"

Hephaestus sat down next to Evelyn, which made her visibly uncomfortable. "I was told you had an interesting weapon. Something that could potentially destroy us gods."

Without realizing it, I brought out the dagger. The word "Destroy" gleaned sinisterly in the dark light.

"Ahh, yes…" the god rumbled. "This blade." He tested the weight in his hands.

I started to feel a bit awkward myself. Hephaestus was handling the blade like it was his child. Nevertheless, I asked the question. "Can you tell us anything about it?"

"Not as much as I wish," he admitted. "Nevertheless, I'll talk. Prepare yourself for a long lesson in history."

"Wonderful," Atlanta gagged.

Hephaestus raised an eyebrow. "Daughter of Aphrodite?"

Atlanta instantly straightened in her seat. "Yes?"

Hephaestus's tried for a smile, but it didn't take speech reading to tell how forced it was. "Do not be afraid. I understand your anxiety. Realize I am not here to curse you. Even after Aphrodite committed adultery with the war god, I realize some of her children are capable of great feats. I will be watching you with great expectations."

Atlanta was speechless. I put an arm around her if only to give her a sense of comfort.

The god sighed, his countenance stoic and serious. "Now, let us begin…"


	6. Chapter 6 – Can't Fit Title Darn it

_Since this chapter is a bit on the short side, I threw in a bit of a support near the end. I plan to do this throughout the story, and not just between Phillip and Atlanta. I just wanted to delve more into the protagonist's backgrounds without breaking up the plot so much. That being said, enjoy the history lesson!_

 **Chapter 6 – Hephaestus Takes a Huge Info Dump**

* * *

Hephaestus took a deep breath and began to explain.

"Long ago, there existed the husband of the Earth Mother, Gaea. His name was Ouranos. He had dominion over the skies and the stars. They sired the Titans, the Elder Cyclopes, and the Hundred-Handed Ones. However, Ouranos hated the Elder Cyclopes and the Hundred-Handed Ones. He cast them into the pits of Tartarus in chains of the pure sky. However, eventually, the Titans managed to subdue and kill their treacherous father.

"However, Ouranos was not dead yet. His spirit still lives on. That's why we see the sky today. Over time, his rage manifested into a sacred blade. Its name was _misos_ : hate. The blade has taken many forms and names. Now, you hold it in your hands. The man who lasts used it went by the name Andréas. Andréas was possessed by the pure wrath of Ouranos. He did not know it at the time, but Ouranos was slowly possessing him. It's why handling the blade could mean trouble."

Hephaestus looked at me. "Phillip, you must be careful. Your ability to use the blade may mean Ouranos may slowly be possessing you. It happened to Andréas. It may happen to you. Do not use the blade unless absolutely necessary, or it may take you over. And it draws monsters to you like moths to a flame."

 _Is it like the One Ring to Lord of the Rings?_ I kept that thought to myself.

Atlanta put an arm around me to keep me calm. Maybe it was her using some charm-touch/L-touch magic to help me keep my nerves. We really do love and care for each other, I guess.

"So… let me get this straight?" I said. "I'm basically carrying Ouranos's wrath personified, in the form of a blade, which may take over my consciousness at any given time, and it's basically a huge 'HIT ME' sign to monsters?"

Hephaestus sighed again. "Pretty much. Sorry, Phillip, but holding this blade and destroying it will save us all. You have to bring it to where it can be destroyed. Permanently."

"You claimed this blade has existed since essentially the beginning of the time?" Evelyn asked. "How on earth would we destroy it?"

Hephaestus snapped his fingers. An automaton spawned out of nowhere and spread a map on the table before us. "I set up a ride on from a ferry in New York harbor. He'll take you to Florida. There, you'll have to find a certain goddess. I can't say for sure who she is, but I can guarantee she will help you… for a price."

He took a ring off his deformed right index finger. "Show her this. She'll take over for there."

I took the ring and put it in my pocket. "Thank you, Lord Hephaestus."

The god smiled. "Don't mention it, son of Athena. Good luck. You'll need it."

With that, he disappeared in a pillar of smoke. We had an objective. Now we just need to get to Florida.

Atlanta stopped being so tense. She leaned forward, resting her breasts on the table. "So… how about we get to it? Next stop, New York!"

* * *

C Support – Phillip & Atlanta

Phillip: Hey Atlanta.

Atlanta: Hey Phillip. Something up?

Phillip: Not really. Just wanted to show you this.

Atlanta: Huh? It's those bracelets we made when we were bored on that one night! How…?

Phillip: I kept them for sentimental value. They mean a lot to me. I just wanted to give this back to you.

Atlanta: Aww, Phillip, that's really nice. But I can't accept this. Too many bad memories associated with that leg of our journey to camp.

Phillip: I know. I'm sorry. But you were pretty much my only family back then. I wouldn't have gotten here without you.

Atlanta: Phillip… you're such a sweet guy, you know that?

Phillip: Thanks Atlanta. I love you.

Atlanta: You too. *hugs*


	7. Chapter 7 – Atlanta Crashes Her Ride

_Hey guys! I'm done with finals (actually, I was done like three weeks ago.), so I plan to crank out more content over the summer. Of course, I have a life too, so I won't be posting daily or anything, but I'll get a few more chapters out when I can. Sorry if I don't upload a week or two in advance. I'm probably hanging out with friends, doing math stuff, or practicing Smash Bros. for a day._

 _Oh speaking of which, I updated my profile. You should check that out._

 _Well, that's enough about me. TL; DR: don't forget to Favorite, Follow, and Review! TVS out!_

* * *

 **Chapter 7 – Atlanta Crashes Her Ride**

Normally, when you get off a bus, you expect just to step out of the bus and then stumble around until you find a map and figure out where you go from there. (Or you use your phone, but… here's a quick math lesson. Demigod plus phone equals bad bad bad.)

Here's the difference. We had no clue where we were going from New York. It was the end of the line, meaning we had to find another way to get to Florida, unless we wanted to swim or something. I suppose I could have called Shimmer, but Atlanta and Evelyn don't have pegasi, and Shimmer is too small to carry three people.

We navigated our way out of the station and onto the busy streets of New York City. I could see the Empire State Building, the site of Olympus, in the distance. I felt the blade in my pocket suddenly go heavy. I didn't think too much of it. Of course, a blade named "hate" by Ouranos would hate the throne of the gods.

"So…" Atlanta stretched her arms. "Where to next?"

"Good question," I said. "We're in New York. How do we get to Florida?"

Atlanta looked at Evelyn. "Do you know how to call those hippocampi? Like during the Relic Apple quest?"

I didn't know what Atlanta was talking about, but Evelyn smiled. "I was about to bring that up. I do know how to call them, but I'm not sure if they'll like swimming in this pollution. Even after the Battle of Manhattan, that water still looks like sludge to me."

I thought about it. I know that the hippocampi don't like swimming in polluted water. However, it would be our only chance to get to Florida, given the current resources and circumstances.

"Evelyn, do it," I said.

We went to one of the ports and looked at the sludge. Evelyn whistled towards the water. After a ten-count, we saw the hippocampi materialize into the sludge. They were wheezing and their color was a bit off, probably from the pollution, but they were in good health.

After Evelyn explained the situation to the hippocampi, we mounted them. I mounted the rainbow hippocampus. Atlanta mounted the ocean blue one. Evelyn hopped onto the largest one and in no time, we were headed off into the ocean.

If you've never ridden a hippocampus before, here's the best way I can put it. Imagine riding a horse at max speed, but it's a lot less bumpy, you're zooming through the water at some 200 miles an hour, and you're underwater half the time. It can be a bit uncomfortable at times and you end up soaked, but it's pretty awesome once you get used to it.

We were riding along smoothly when suddenly a strong current hit us off-course, forcing us towards the coastline. Closer to the beach were some nasty-looking rocks.

"BAIL!" I tried to yell, but I was pulled under before I could finish my sentence.

I saw Atlanta's hippocampus crash into the side of one of the rocks. I saw blood in the water in that general direction. Fearing the worse, I tried to rein my hippocampus in that direction to check the situation. Evelyn was nowhere to be found.

Next thing I knew, I was being thrown around like a beach ball. As a final effort, I got off my hippocampus and splashed into the water. I was probably fifteen yards away from the beach, but I tried to swim towards the beach.

Suddenly, the knife in my pocket felt extremely hot. I don't know how, but I slipped my hand over it and grabbed hold of the handle. I pointed it into the air and sped off towards the beach, faceplanting into the beach and getting all sorts of sand in my eyes. I really hope the mortals didn't see the knife in my hands, but I was losing consciousness fast. The last thing I heard before I blacked out was a grunt as someone landed to my right into the sand as well.


End file.
